Device for forming wire fasteners



June 14, 1932. E scRRlcK 1,862,717

DEVICE EUR FORMING WIRE FASTENERS June 14, 1932. E, SORRlCK 1,862,717

DEVICE FOR FORMING WIRE vFASTENERS Filed Feb. 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 iN VEN TUR.

BY W ATTORNEY June 14,- 1932. E, 5ORR|CK 1,862,717

DEVICE FOR FORMING WIRE FASTENERS Filed Feb. 2. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY 2 7! ATTORNEY.

Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT FFCE ELMER SOR/RICK, OF NEWARKf NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO M. PLATT, INC., OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPOBATXON OF NEW JERSEY DEVICE FOR FORMING WIRE FASTENERS Application filed February 2, 1931.

if of wires or rods which are bent around the members to be connected and then the ends of the wires or rods are twisted together. This latter method of using wires or rods has found extensive use in connecting the furring strips or channels to the running beams or main channels of suspended ceilings. The bending or wrapping of such wires or rods about these structural members and the twisting together of the ends ofthe bent wires or rods, however, consumes much time and considerable effort, thereby greatly increasing the cost of such structures. l

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel device adapted for operating upon wire stock so as to cut and form the stock into wire fasteners, which fasteners may be readily applied to structural members for use in connecting these members.

Another object of the present invention lies in the provision of a novel forming device of the above character which is of simple, rugged construction, the same having a long life in use and being easily operated to produce Wire fasteners of the desired shape.

Other objects of this invention at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the novel device of this invention for forming wire fasteners,

50 the said ligure showing wire stock inserted Serial No. 512,774.

into the device preparatory to the operation of the device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow marked m.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line- 8 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow marked y.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 with parts broken away and illustrate successive steps of the forming operation.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, part sectional view taken substantially along line 7 7 of Fig. t.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, part sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a part sectional view taken substantially'along line 5)*9 of Fig. 6 and shows the full width of the device.

Fig. 10 is a perspective ,view illustrating the use of the wire fasteners formed by the device of this invention.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of the wire fastener; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detail of construction.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the novel forming device Of this invention as a whole. The forming device 1 comprises a frame having rectangular side bars 2, 8 and l and transversely extending front and rear bars 5 and 6 respectively. The side bars 3 and 4 are spaced somewhat from one another by means of rectangular spacer blocks 7 and 8 at the front and rear of the frame. The transverse front and rear bars 5 and 6 are preferably connected to the side bars 2 and 4 by dowels 15 and this connection is rendered very secure and rigid by tie bolts 9, which bolts eX- tend transversely through apertures provided in the side bars and spacer blocks. Two of these tie bolts 9 are positioned at the front of the frame forwardly of front bar 5 and two more of these tie bolts are positioned at lthe rear of the frame forwardly of the rear Removable adjusting blocks 21 are interposed between front and rear bars 5 and 6 and the side bar 4. Dowels 15 are illustrated as fixed to the front and rear bars 5 and 6 and project through conforming apertures provided in the adjusting blocks 21 and extend for a distance into apertures provided in side bar 4. By' loosening bolts 9-the adjusting blocks 21 may be removed, lwhereupon the retightening of bolts 9 will cause the front and rear bars 5andV 6 to engage side bar 4 directly, thereby decreasing the Width of the frame which is desirable when it is wished to form a smaller size of fastener as will further appear. It will-be'apparent that the frame may be held together in other ways and. still' secure the rigidl interconnection desired. Angle brackets 10 are secured tothe frame of thedevice atthe frontand: rear of this frame by means of the lower tie bolts 9. Angle bracketslO are adapted to-be secured, as by screws 11, to a suitable support 12.

A bolt 13` is `fixed to: andl extends transverselythrough the frame at a point substantiallymidway betweenA the front and rear bars 5 and16. Bolt 13-extends througlra bearing aperture' provided in the lower end portionof thehand lever 14 and servesas-a pivotal support'for. thisfhand lever. Hand lever 14' extends upwardly from the pivotal bolt 13 andahas yokes 16- and 17 secured to its sides byV bolts 18 extending though thesev yokes and the' lever 14. A removableadjusting block 47 is interposed between yokeA 17 and hand lever-14. Yoke 16 hasits lower -porti'on'transversely'ofset from thelever 14,l which yoke lower portion is securedfto asubstantially cireu'lar'shear plate 19 as by bolts 29.

Shear plate 19 extends downwardly from its lpoint Tof connection with the yoke 16l and abuts the outer surfaceofsidebar 2. The lowerA portion of shear' plateA 19 is apertured to receive the-bolt 13`upon which bolt this shear plate is pivota'llynmounted soasfto turn withv the-lever 14 about this bolt. A hardened shear bladeL 22 (seev Figs.- 1, 2 and 9) is secured/tof the forward portion of the shear plate-19as-by screws 23. Shear blade-22 is adapted to cooperatewith a hardened shear block 24which is set into a. recess provided in the forward portion of side-barv2 and is secured: thereinl aseby' dowels and a screw 25. A removable adjusting blockV 48 underlies'the shearblock 24 andis also secured in the side bar recess byl screwv 25. Shear block 24 is illustrated as formed with a wire or rod transverse guide groove 26 adapted to receive wire or'rod stock 27. The wire stock 27V is adapt ed to beA cutfor severed by downward movement of'shea-r -blade- 22 past shear block 24.

YokeV 17 has-its lower portion `transversely oi'setv from` the lever 14, which'yoke lower portion is secured as -by-bolts 20 to aforming member or plate 28; Formingmember or plate 28 extends downwardly from its point of attachment tothe yoke 17 and is slidingly received within the space provided between the side bars 3 and 4. The bolt 13 extends through an aperture provided in the forming member 28 and serves as a pivotal support for this forming member. Thus, turning movement of lever 14 about the bolt 13 also causes shear plate 19 and forming member 28 to turn likewise about this bolt.

The forward edge portion of the forming member 28 is shaped so as to cooperate with the side bars 3 and 4 in forming the fasteners produced by the device of this invention. These side bars are illustrated as provided with hardened inserts or blocks 29 and 30 having transverse or horizontal guide grooves 31 and 32 for receiving the wire or rod stock 27. Removable adjusting blocks 49 are illustrated as underlying the hardened inserts 29 and 30. Hardened inserts 29 and 30 and adjusting blocks 49 are removably secured to the side bars 3 and 4 by screws 5() and dowels 51. Guide grooves 31 and 32 are aligned with guide groove 26 of the shear block 24. A bracket 33 is secured to the forward upper portion of side bar 3 by a tie bolt 9 and this bracket is formed with an upturned stop lug 34 at its outer end, which stop lugs serves as a stop for the wire stock 27 as this stock is fed to the device. The 0pposing inner surfaces of side bars 3 and 4 and blocks 29, 30 and 49 are formed with vertical guide grooves 35 and 36, which, in effect, are continuations of guide grooves 31 and 32. Vertical guide grooves 35 and 36 merge at their upper ends into the horizontal guide grooves 31 and 32 respectively. Preferably the points of juncture of these vertical guide grooves with their respective adjoining horizontal guide grooves are rounded somewhat as indicated at 46 so that the wire stock will pass readily from the horizontal guide grooves into the vertical guide grooves under the action of the forming member 28.

The forward edge portion of the forming member 28 is provided with a. nose projec` tion 37. Nose projection 37 is illustrated as formed on a hardened inesrt 38 which is illustrated as of angle shape. Insert 38 is set into a suitable recess provided in the forward portion of the forming member and is secured in place as by a screw 39. At a point above the nose projection 37 the forming member 28 carries a transverse pin 40 which is fixed within an aperture provided in the forming member and projects outwardly from each side of this forming member. Below t-he nose projection 37 the forming member is formed with a forwardly extending projection 41.

In use, to produce the desired fasteners. the hand lever 14 is pushed rearwardly until the nose projection 37 over-lies the guide grooves 31 and 32 and the project-ion 411mderlies these guide grooves as illustrated in Fig. 3. The wire or rod stock 27 is then inserted into guide groove 26 and moved transversely of the device through guide grooves 32 and 31 until the end of this stock abuts the stop lug 34 of bracket 33, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The device is now ready for the forming operation.

The hand lever 14 is now pulled forwardly, causing shear plate or member 19 and forming member 23 tol turn forwardly about bolt 13. As hand lever 14 moves forwardly, shear blade 22 moves int-o engagement witn the stock 27. Continued forward movement of the hand lever 14 causes shear blade 22 to shear or sever stock 27 at the outer edge of shear block 24, thereby separating the length of stock carried by the forming device from the stock supplied to the device. Continued forward movement of the hand lever will cause nose projection 37 to engage that portion of the length of the stock 27 which extends across the space between side bars 3 and 4 and this nose projection will force this portion of the stock 27 downwardly into the space between bars 3 and 4. This downward motion of the nose projection causes the stock to be bent by the corners 46 and causes the stock to assume the U-shaped form shown in Figs. 4 and 7 of the drawings. During this downward movement of the nose projection, the stock 27 at the sides of this nose projection moves downwardly in guide grooves and 36, which grooves properly confine the stock so as toI produce the desired U-shaped formation of this stock.

Continued forward movement of the hand lever causes nose projection 37 to move rearwardly and downwardly out of engagement with the stock 27, while at substantially the same time transverse pin 40 engages the upper free end portions of the stock 27 and acts to bend this stock forwardly about blocks 29 and 30 into the right angle formation illustrated in Figs. 5 and 8. Forward motion of the hand lever 14 is nowv stopped by the pin 40 which presses the stock directly against the top of blocks 29 and 30. The fastener has now been completely formed and is designated in the drawings by the reference numeral 42. It is now merely necessary to remove the completed fastener from the forming device.

To remove the fastener 42 from the forming device, the hand lever 14 is pushed rearwardly causing the projection 41 to move upwardly and engage the transversely extending bottom of the fastener 42 and move this fastener upwardly and out of the guide grooves 35 and 36, as especially illustrated in Figs. 6 and 9 of the drawings. The completed fastener is illustrated in Fig. 11. A manner of using this fastener is illustrated in Fig. 10, wherein the furring channels 43 of a ceiling, for example, are supported from runner or main channels 44 by means of the fasteners 42. In installing thefasteners 42,

the upper free end portions thereof, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10, are bent downwardly and around the channel flange by use of a suitable tool, thereby firmly securing the furring channels to the runner channels.

It will thus be apparent, that the novel forming device of this invention operates by merely giving the hand lever 14 a single forward stroke to cut and form the wire stock 27 into the desired completed fastener 42.

The novel forming device of this invention may be used with any type of stock whether steel or other metal or material. It will be apparent that if the side bars 2, 3 and 4 are of sufiicient hardness, it will not be necessary to employ the hardened insert blocks 24, 29 and 30 in which case the guide grooves 26, 31 and 32 may be formed directly in the bars 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Also, if the shear plate 19 and the forming member 28 are of sufficient hardness, their operative parts, such as the shear blade 22 and the nose projection 37, may be made integral with these members.

It will be noted that the novel forming device of this invention is of extremely simple construction and is easily operated to form the fasteners 42. Owing to the rugged character of the forming device 1, the same may readily handle stock of relatively large diameter.

The device as set up in the drawings is adapted to form a fastener o-f a certain size. For example, the fastener 42 may be of such size as to secure one inch furring channels 43 to the runner channels 44. In some instances it is desirable to provide a fastener which will secure furring channels of a different size to the runner channels; for example, it may be desirable to use threequarter inch furring channels, in which case the fastener 42 must be made smaller. To provide for this condition, the removable adjusting blocks 21, 47, 48 and 49 are used together with a removable stop block 52 (see Fig. 12). The stop block 52 is adapted to be attached, when desired, as by a strap 53 to the stop lug 34 of bracket 33. l/Vhen it is desired to form the smaller fastener, the adjusting blocks 21, 47, 48 and 49 are removed and the stop block 55 is attached to bracket 33. The removal of blocks 21 and 47 and the mounting of block 52 on bracket 33 serves to shorten the length of stock cut off by the shear plate 19. The removal of blocks 48 l and 49 serves to lower the shear block 24 and the hardened blocks 29 and 30 further into their respective recesses, whereby the effective stroke of the nose projection 41 is lessened so that the desired smaller fastener is produced. It is evident that other sizes of fasteners may also be formed by using varying thicknesses of adjusting blocks 21, 47, 48 and 49 and stop blocks 52.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could. be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. f

What is claimed is 1. A forming device of the character described4 comprising, a frame, said frame having guide means therein for` receiving Wire orv rod stock, a shearing member pivotally mounted on said frame, a forming member pivotally mounted on said frame, said shearing and forming means being rotatable about a common axis, and a single power transmission means connected to said shearing and forming members, said power transmission means simultaneously actuating said shearing and forming means to initially cause said shearing member to sever the stock carrie by said guide means and thereafter to cause said forming member to bend said stock into desired shape.

2. A forming device of the character described comprising, a frame, said frame having guide means therein for receiving and guiding Wire or rod stoclracross said frame, a shearing member and a forming member pivotally mounted on said frame, said shearing and forming members being movable together for operating upon the stock, and

y a lever pivoted on said frame and connected in common to said shearing and forming members for simultaneously moving both of saidV members to cause an operative part of the former to first sever the stocli and-operative parts of the latter to bend the stoel; into desired shape.

3. A forming device of the character described comprising, a frame, said frame having guide means therein for r ceiving wire or rod stock, a pivotal support carried by said frame, a shearing member pivotally mounted on said support, a forming member pivotally mounted on said support, a lever also pivotally mounted on said support, yoke-s A connecting said lever to said shearing and forming members, said lever, upon being moved in one direction, operating initially to cause said shearing member to sever the stock carried'by said guide means and thereafter to cause said forming member to bend said stock into desired shape.

4:. A forming device ofthe character described comprising, a frame, said'frame ha.-

ing guide means therein for receiving Wire or rod stock, a pivotal support carried by said frame, a shearing member pivotally mounted on said support at one side of said frame, a forming member pivotaiiy mounted on. said support at the other side of said frame, a lever also pivotally mounted (21V a n l 3 on said support intermediate said shearing and forming members, yolres connecting said lever to said shearing and forming members, said lever, upon being moved in one direction, operating initially to cause saidv shearing member to sever the stock carried by said guide means and thereafter to cause said forming member to bend said stock into desired shape, said lever operating, when moved in the reverse direction, to cause said forming member to extract the bent stock from the forming device.

5. A forming device of the character described comprising, a frame, said frame having guide means therein for receiving Wire or rod stock, a pivotal support carried by said frame, a shearing member pivotally mounted on said support at one side of said frame, a forming member pivotally mounted on said support at the other side of said frame, said forming member having a forwardly directed nose projection and a pair of oppositely directed transverse projections, a lever also pivotally mounted in said support intermediate said shearing and forming members, yolres connecting said lever to said shearing and forming meml ers, said lever, upon being moved in one direction, operating initially t0 cause said shearing member to sever the stock carried by said guide means and thereafter to cause said forming member' nose projection to bend the severed stock into U-shape and said transverse projections to subsequently bend the U-shaped stock into angle formation.

6. A forming device of the character described comprising, a` frame having a single bar at one side thereof and a pair of spaced bars at the other side thereof, said bars having aligned, transverse guide grooves in their upper edge portions for receiving rod or wire stock, said pair of spaced bars having vertical guide grooves on their opposed surfaces, said vertical guide grooves communicating respectively with the respective transverse guide grooves of these bars, a shearing member pivoted on said frame at the side of said single bar, a formino member pivoted on said frame intermediate said spaced bars, and a' lever pivoted on said frame and connected to said shearing and forming members for actuating these members.

7. A forming device of the character described comprising, a frame having a single bar at one side thereof and a pair of spaced bars at the other side thereof, said bars having aligned, transverse guide grooves in their upper edge portions for receiving rod or wire stock, said pair of spaced bars having vertical guide grooves on their opposed surfaces, said vertical guide grooves communicating respectively with the respective transverse guide grooves of these bars, a shearing member pivoted on said frame at the side of said single bar, a forming member pivoted on said frame intermediate said spacedV bars, said forming member having a nose projection and a pair of oppositely directed, transverse projections above said nose projection, a lever pivoted on said frame and connected to said shearing and forming members, said lever, upon being moved in one direction, operating initially to cause said shearing member to shear stock lying in said transverse guide grooves at said single bar and thereafter to cause said forming member nose projection to bend the severed stock downwardly between said pair of spaced bars, thereby causing said stock to assume a U- shaped formation with the legs thereof moving downwardly in the vertical guide grooves of said pair of spaced bars, said lever operating subsequently to cause said forming member transverse projections to bend the upper portions of said legs on said pair of spaced bars so that these upper leg portions extend at right angles to the lower portions of these legs.

8. A forming device of the character described comprising, a frame having a single bar at one side thereof and a pair of spaced bars at the other side thereof, said bars having aligned, transverse guide grooves in their upper edge portions for receiving rod or wire stock, said pair of spaced bars having vertical guide grooves on their opposed surfaces, said vertical guide grooves communicating respectively with the respective transverse guide grooves of these bars, a shearing member pivoted on said frame at the side of said single bar, a forming member pivoted on said frame intermediate said spaced bars, said forming member having a nose projection for bending the rod or wire stock into U-shape, a pair of oppositely directed, transverse projections above said nose projections for further bending the U-shaped stock and a projection below said nose projection for extracting the completely formed stock, and a lever pivoted on said frame and connected to said shearing and forming members for actuating these members.

9. A forming device of the character described comprising, a rectangular frame having a single bar at one side thereof and a pair of spaced bars at the other side thereof, said bars havin@P aligned, transverse guide grooves in their upper edge portions, said pair of spaced bars having additional vertical guide grooves in their opposed surfaces communicating with their respective transverse guide grooves, a pivotal bolt extending transversely through said frame, a shearing member pivotally mounted on said bolt and positioned adjacent said single bar, said shearing member cooperating with said single bar for shearing rod or wire stock at the transverse guide groove of said bar, a forming member pivotally mounted on said bolt between said pair of spaced bars, said forming member having a nose projection thereon for cooperating with the guide grooves of said pair of spaced bars to bend rod or wire stock into U-shape, and a lever pivoted on said bolt and connected to said shearing and forming members for actuating these members.

10. A forming device of the character described comprising, a rectangular frame having a single bar at one side thereof and a pair of spaced bars at the other side thereof, said bars having aligned transverse guide grooves in their upper edge portions, said pair of spaced bar having additional vertical guide grooves in their opposed surfaces communicating with their respective transverse guide grooves, a bracket mount-ed on said frame and having a stop lug aligned with said transverse guide grooves, a pivotal bolt extending transversely through said frame, a shearing member pivotally mounted on said bolt and positioned adacent said single bar, said shearing member cooperating with said single bar for shearing rod or Wire stock at the transverse guide groove of said bar, a forming member pivotall mounted on said bolt between said pair of spaced bars, said forming member having a nose projection thereon for cooperating with the guide grooves of said pair of spaced bars to bend rod or wire stock into U-shape, said forming member having a second projection thereon spaced from said nose projection for extracting the formed stock from the vertical guide grooves of said pair of spaced bars, and a lever pivoted on said bolt and connected to said shearing and forming members for actuating these members.

ll. A forming device of the character described comprising, a frame having a single bar at one side thereof and a pair of spaced bars at the other side thereof, said bars having receiving recesses in their upper portions, hardened block inserts mounted in said receiving recesses, said block inserts having guide grooves ther-ein for receiving rod or wire stock, said pair of spaced bars having vertical guide grooves on their inner opposed surfaces, said vertical guide grooves communicating with the guide grooves of the block inserts carried by these bars, a shearing member pivoted on said frame at the side of said single bar, a forming member pivoted on said frame intermediate said spaced bars, and a lever pivoted on said frame and connected to said shearing and forming members for actuating these members.

l2. A forming device of the character deA scribed comprising, a frame having a pair of slightly spaced bars and a single bar at one side of said pair of bars, means for adjusting said single bar toward or away from said pair of bars, adjustable stop means at the other side of said pair of bars, said bars having receiving recesses in their upper portions, hardened block inserts mounted in said receiving recesses, said block inserts having aligned transverse guide grooves in their upper edge portions for receiving rod or Wire stock to be fed transversely across said frame Vuntil the free-end thereof is stopped against said stop means, removable adjusting blocks positioned in said receiving recesses beneath -said block inserts, a shearing member pivoted on said frame at the outer side of said single bar, a forming member pivoted on said `frame intermediate said pair of spaced bars and a lever pivoted on said frame and connected to said shearing and forming members for actuatingv these members.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of January, 1931.

ELMER SORRICK. 

